Early morning lines for TSA screening have again been spilling out the front door and onto the sidewalk at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in recent days. And both major political parties are seizing on the lines as evidence of why the other side should compromise to end a partial government shutdown that began on Valentine's Day.
But there's one thing both sides appear to agree on: The lines at ABIA are not being caused by TSA officers calling out sick as they work without pay — a common occurrence during government shutdowns as federal employees stay home in protest or find other ways to make ends meet.
Good morning, travelers.
— Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (@AustinAirport) March 16, 2026
Here is a 4:30 am view of the general security line for Checkpoint 1.
We’re expecting a record-breaking volume of people — there are about 38k of you flying out today. Please arrive at least 2.5 hours prior to your flight’s departure for domestic. pic.twitter.com/4BSomFYRXz
Instead, they say, the monstrous lines are the result of heavier passenger traffic during the busy South by Southwest and spring break travel season.
"I just talked to the head of the TSA here in Austin, and thankfully, these brave men and women are doing their job and not calling in sick and not quitting," said U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, after delivering trays of Whataburger to TSA officers at a scheduled media event Monday.
When asked by KUT News what accounted for the long lines, Cornyn said it was just that time of the year.
"It's called spring break. It's called South by Southwest. It's just a lot of demand for the traveling public. And they're doing the best they can. And I think doing an admirable job here in Austin," the Republican said.
While Cornyn had briefly disappeared into a restricted area of the Barbara Jordan Terminal to deliver the burgers, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, an Austin Democrat whose district includes the airport, walked up to the TV cameras inside the terminal and blamed Republicans for the shutdown.
"They are insisting on ramming through billions in [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] funding and they're holding the TSA officers hostage," Casar said. "I think it's because [Cornyn is] trying to out Ken Paxton, Ken Paxton."
Cornyn is fighting to keep the U.S. Senate seat he's held since 2002, and is currently locked in a runoff battle for the Republican nomination with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The winner will face state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, in November.
After Cornyn delivered the burgers, he returned fire.
"Democrats have refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security at a time of heightened danger to the American traveling public," Cornyn said. "Democrats need to quit holding these TSA agents hostage."
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, an Austin Democrat whose district used to include ABIA, blasted what he called "Republican-created chaos at airports." But he also tacitly agreed with Cornyn that the shutdown wasn't causing the long TSA lines plaguing early morning Austin travelers.
"Through good planning for an anticipated spike in SXSW passengers by getting more temporary TSA officers, our airport is not experiencing any significant impact from the few TSA officers who aren't arriving for their shifts," Doggett said in a statement. "The long lines are the result of SXSW coinciding with Spring Break families with multiple carry-on's."
Neither the TSA nor the union representing the agency's 47,000 tansportation security officers responded to a request for comment.
Last month, the Barbara Jordan Terminal gained two additional TSA screening lanes with the opening of Checkpoint 4, part of a 75,000-square-foot expansion project. Doggett said only one of the now-22 screening lanes in the terminal was down, because a machine was being repaired.
Meanwhile, airport data suggests the surge in travelers is — at times — significant.
TSA screened 38,421 passengers Sunday, compared with 36,467 the previous Sunday earlier in March. On Saturday, the difference was larger: 34,515 passengers screened March 14 compared with 25,729 the previous Saturday.
ABIA is averaging about 276 flights per day this month.
Airport data shows those flights are distributed throughout the day. The busiest hour for takeoffs in March is 4 p.m., with an average of 34 departing flights. The 5 a.m., 6 a.m., and 7 a.m. hours have an average 18, 24 and 25 departing flights, respectively.
Even though departures are spread throughout the day, security checkpoints can become crowded early in the morning when travelers for the first wave of flights arrive around the same time. TSA checkpoints at the airport open around 3 a.m., according to the airport's website, and may take several hours to reach full capacity.
Airport officials advise travelers to arrive at least two-and-a-half hours before domestic flights and a minimum of three hours before international flights during this busy travel period.
Meanwhile, the shutdown continues to affect TSA officers. They've now missed one partial paycheck and one full paycheck as Congress remains deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the agency.
Copyright 2026 KUT News
